The Pizza Boy Who Owned the City

Chapter 2

At the sound of knocking, Dan quickly got to his feet and opened the door.

Standing outside was a plump, middle-aged woman in black stockings.

“Hi, ma’am.” Dan forced a smile when he recognized her.

It was his landlady.

“Dan,” the woman snapped. “When exactly are you going to pay your rent? You’re already two months behind!”

“I’ll get paid in two days,” Dan said carefully. “Could you please give me until then?”

“Two more days?” The landlady let out a cold laugh, then her voice rose at once. “I've told you million times that rent should be paid every month, but you’ve dragged this out for two whole months. And now you still want another two days?”

Dan had no way to argue.

A month ago, he had spent every last bit of his savings on Caroline’s birthday gift. And just two days later, Caroline broke up with him.

Now, he did not even have enough money to pay the rent.

“Please, ma’am. I really don’t have the money right now,” Dan said, his face burning with embarrassment. “But I swear I’ll pay you in two days.”

The landlady shouted, her cheeks trembling with anger. “Listen, you pathetic scumbag! If you don’t pay today, pack your things and get the f**k out!”

Dan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

What could he even say?

He was broke.

Completely broke.

Just then, the door to the room next to his was pushed open.

A beautiful woman in a black lace nightdress stepped out. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, clearly irritated.

“What happened?” she asked coldly. “Why is it so noisy out here?”

The landlady’s expression changed at once. The anger on her face disappeared, instantly replaced by a flattering smile.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Pattinson,” she said quickly. “This man refuses to pay his rent, so I had no choice but to come and collect it from him.”

The woman tilted her head and glanced at Dan.

After studying him for a moment, she asked lazily, “How much does he owe you?”

“Not much, actually,” the landlady said with an awkward laugh. “Just two months’ rent. Four hundred in total.”

“It’s only four hundred.” The woman frowned. “Do you really have to scream like that over it?”

“He keeps asking for more time,” the landlady explained. “He just won’t pay…”

“I’ll pay it for him,” the woman said impatiently. “Just stop shouting.”

The landlady’s eyes lit up at once. “Thank you, Miss Pattinson! Thank you so much!”

The landlady shot Dan one last glare before turning and leaving.

Only after she was gone did Dan finally raise his head and look at the woman standing in the doorway.

He had lived here for some time, but this was the first time he had seen his neighbor up close.

She was breathtaking.

Her features were delicate and refined, with soft brows, dark eyes, and lips as red as fresh cherries. Perhaps because her sleep had been disturbed, her long golden hair was slightly messy, giving her an even more alluring charm.

The black lace nightdress revealed her smooth, fair skin. Her long, slender legs were bare, and her graceful figure made it hard for Dan to look away.

Realizing he was staring, Dan quickly looked away and took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely. “Really.”

She brushed a strand of golden hair away from her cheek and said, “Don’t worry about it. You are Dan, right? I'm Ella Pattinson.”

Dan nodded. “Miss Pattinson, I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

“Just call me Ella,” she said, her voice softening. “And don’t worry about it. That landlady has always been mean and harsh. You didn’t deserve to be humiliated like that.”

Dan stood there for a moment, unable to say anything.

It had been a long time since anyone had shown him such simple kindness.

In the end, all he could do was nod gratefully.

After closing the door, Dan's phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up and answered, “Hello? Who is this?”

“Mr. Bridgers, did you receive the notification for the money I transferred into your account?”

That voice. It was the man who had called him earlier today.

“That money was transferred by you?” Dan asked.

“Yes. I know you may still think I’m a scammer, so I transferred some money to your account first to prove my sincerity. If you still don’t believe me, when you have time, you can go to the bank and check for yourself.”

Dan’s heart skipped a beat. Without another word, he grabbed his debit card, rushed out of his apartment, and headed straight for the nearest bank.

A few minutes later, he stood frozen in front of the ATM.

The man had not been lying. There really was ten million dollars in his account!

With trembling fingers, he took out his phone and dialed the unfamiliar number again.

The middle-aged man answered almost immediately and chuckled.

“Mr. Bridgers, do you believe me now?”

“Who… who exactly are you?” Dan asked, his voice full of confusion. “Why would you give me so much money?”

“Mr. Bridgers, if you have time now, please come to the twenty-seventh floor of Harrington Financial Center tomorrow morning. I will explain everything to you in person,” the man said calmly.

Dan gripped his phone tightly.

After a long moment of hesitation, he finally said in a low voice, “Okay.”

That night, Dan barely slept.

Every time he closed his eyes, the number on the ATM screen appeared in his mind again.

Ten million dollars. It was a sum of money he had never even dared to imagine.

Early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen, Dan got out of bed, washed up in a hurry, hailed a cab, and went straight to Harrington Financial Center.

Since he still had to work his shift that afternoon, he had simply kept on his pizza boy uniform.

Sitting in the back seat, he watched through the window as the gleaming tower drew closer and closer.

He did not know it yet, but his life was about to change forever.